Book Review: The Revolution of Man, by Philip Barker

Journalist Phil Barker unpacks the myth of the 'Man Box' and Australian masculinity.

Overall

3.5

The Revolution of Man is an interesting read for men as well as
women. As a female reader, I found there was no information for mothers or
women about how to support boys or men with forms of toxic masculinity, this
actually makes the book more powerful, as it implicitly states that it is a
man’s job and empowers men to take responsibility and do it themselves.

There are three main parts in
this book. Part one is on becoming a man, part two being a man and part three, being
a better man. It is important to note that the basis of Philip Barker’s research
is in Australia and New Zealand so some of the themes may not resonate with all
men.

Part one talks about boys not
crying, the overuse or misuse and misunderstanding of porn, and the men that
hate women. The statistics and stories are frank and without delicacy, making
it an enjoyable and easy read, almost like having a direct conversation with
the author. The most eye-opening chapter in this section is the attitudes and
beliefs of the women-hating mens’ rights activist groups.

Part two is on suicide,
domestic violence, and workplace culture. It also touches on the future role of
men in all of these areas, preparing the reader for part three: being a better
man.

The first chapter of part three
is dedicated to the idea that men should all cook, and it goes so far as to
include a recipe for men to follow. This was irksome as it was discordant with
the entirety of the first two parts of the book, which is dedicated to freeing
men from a ‘man-box’ and what skills define a man. It would have been better if he stayed away
from redefining and perhaps left out this chapter entirely. Perhaps Baker’s
intention was to give men a different role to follow however it was not
contextualised as such.

The remainder of part three
reviews male friendships, fatherhood, male/female relationships, and gives
advice on how to have or maintain these emotional connections. Finally, an executive summary of all parts
gives you the option to revisit all the themes, useful for ongoing
implementation.

Phil Baker has over twenty
years of media experience and his observations over time are evident with the
many topics covered in this latest book. This book is a guide purely designed
to instruct men on how to recognise, unpack and disassociate themselves and
future generations from the man-box.